Crop landraces are genetically variable populations of agricultural plant species that through natural evolution and farmers’ selection and continuous cultivation have been adapted to the environment of their origin or cultivation. To be used and officially traded, there are more lax or strict registration schemes throughout the world concerning the application of distinctiveness, uniformity, stability (DUS) system. This review discusses the legislative framework of various countries worldwide and evaluates its application efficiency with a detailed focus on European Union (EU) experience. Especially in EU, landraces must be registered as conservation varieties in the European Catalogue of Varieties. A total of 313 agricultural and 173 vegetable conservation varieties were registered in the European Catalogues from 2013 to 2021. However, it is not clear how many of these registries are landraces because obsolete varieties are also included under the term conservation varieties. Moreover, our review reports the importance of landraces for the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and EU strategies, namely ‘Farm to Fork’ and ‘Biodiversity’. Additionally, the DUS criteria were evaluated for their use when a crop landrace is registered taking into consideration the genetic structure of a landrace. Furthermore, the connection of landraces with Farmers’ Rights, their appropriateness for organic agriculture, and trade issues are discussed. Finally, the new proposal of European Commission on Plant Reproductive Material concerning landraces is critically reviewed and improvements are suggested.

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a staple legume crop for the Balkan Peninsula, mainly used for food. A large range of landraces well adapted to the local climate are maintained by farmers. The aim of this study was to estimate in field conditions the variability in morphology and seed biochemical composition of fourteen local common bean genotypes. Sixteen morphological and three biological characteristics were evaluated. Considerable morphological variation was found among genotypes. Thirteen genotypes possessed a determinate growth habit, and one of them an indeterminate one. Plant weight without pods, total weight, and the number and weight of pods per plant displayed the highest variation coefficient (CV%) with 54.5, 44.2, 45, and 37.6%, respectively. According to the seed shape, the variation was among kidney, cuboid, and oval. Seed energy value varied from 339 to 347 kcal/100 g, the amount of protein from 21.8 to 27%, lipids content from 1.6 to 2.5%, carbohydrates from 54 to 60%, ash from 4.6 to 5.4%, dietary fibers from 3.3 to 5.9%, tannins from 14 to 21%, phenols from 1.3 to 17.2 mg/g, and antitrypsin activity from 1.2 to 3.1 units/mg FW. Genotypes were classified according to the earliness, plant and seed characteristics, and yield. Genetic material was discerned useful for future research and breeding purposes.

Bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia L. Willd.) is an ancient Mediterranean legume, well adapted to dry climates, that has recently gained attention for its potential in organic farming and as a suitable source of bioactive compounds. This study analyzed the agrobiological variability of 12 bitter vetch accessions from the IPGR-Sadovo genebank in two-year field trials. Yield-related traits were recorded, and grains were assessed for protein, sugar, starch, free amino acids, phenols, and antitrypsin content. Statistical analyses included variance, correlation, cluster, principal component, and path-coefficient methods. Significant variation was observed in plant branching, pod and grain numbers, and grain weight per plant. Grain yield correlated strongly with pod number (r = 0.910**), grains per pod (r = 0.867**) and per plant (r = 0.965**), and pod size. Positive direct effects on grain yield had the traits germination−50% flowering, number of seeds per plant, height to first pod, and harvest index. An indirect impact was found for the number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and seed starch content. Accessions formed four main clusters. BGR6207, B9E0168, and C3000003 showed high yield potential. C3000001, C3000003, C3000007, and C3000006 exhibited early maturity. C3E0118, C3000007, and C3000003 seeds had lower amounts of phenols. BGR13526 presented lower protein and antitrypsin but higher carbohydrate and phenol levels. Tolerance to moderate osmotic stress (150 mM NaCl or 10% Polyethylene glycol 6000) varied. BGR3052, BGR13526, and A3BM0178 were found to be resistant to both stressors, while accessions C3000001 and C3000007 were identified as sensitive to both adversities. C3000006 was determined as sensitive to salinity but resistant to drought, and BGR3051and C3000003 were relatively sensitive to drought but resistant to salinity. Root elongation and thinning were observed in half of the accessions as adaptive responses to stress. These findings highlight some of the advantages of the evaluated bitter vetch accessions for breeding and reintroduction into sustainable agricultural practices.

Pea (Pisum sativum L) and broad bean (Vicia faba L) are grain legumes belonging to the Fabaceae family, high in protein content and of great importance for agriculture worldwide. The subjects of this study are 6 local pea varieties and 6 local broad bean populations, the grains of which were evaluated for protein, sugar, starch and phenolic content. Statistical analyses included Variance and Duncan analysis. Two accessions - broad bean C2E0090 and pea B8BM0001 - are distinguished by a large amount of protein, soluble sugars and starch compared to the other accessions included in the study. Pea accessions were tested for resistance to salt stress, and broad bean accessions - for osmotic stress at the germination stage. The pea accessions B9E0263 and B8BM0001 were revealed as tolerant to salinity, and the broad bean accessions B9E0169 and C2E0092 were tolerant to drought. The results obtained from the analyses revealed a wide diversity in important biochemical traits, as well as in salt and osmotic stress tolerance among the studied pea and broad bean cultivars. These studies highlight some of the advantages of the evaluated pea and broad bean cultivars for breeding and reintroduction into sustainable agricultural practices.

Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important legume crop whose productivity is strongly influenced by environmental conditions, making the evaluation of genotype performance and stability essential for breeding and sustainable cultivation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate local field pea varieties grown under the climatic conditions of Northeastern and Central Southern Bulgaria with respect to yield-related traits and to assess the effects of genotype, environment, and genotype × environment interaction on trait expression and stability. Field experiments were conducted during 2024 and 2025 at two locations (Ruse and Sadovo) using four local field pea cultivars arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Plant height, number of primary branches, number of productive pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, number of seeds per plant, and seed weight per plant were recorded. The data were analyzed using multifactor analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's HSD test, and stability statistics including Shukla's stability variances, Wricke's ecovalence, and Kang's rank-sum criterion. The results demonstrated significant effects of genotype, year, and their interactions on most of the evaluated traits, indicating a substantial influence of environmental conditions on yield formation. In general, higher values for several productivity-related traits were observed under the conditions of the Sadovo environment. The cultivar Ruse 1 exhibited the highest stability for the traits number of seeds per plant and seed weight per plant and achieved favorable rankings according to Kang's stability criterion, whereas Mir showed superior performance for several yield-related characteristics. The obtained results provide useful information for the evaluation of local field pea germplasm and may support breeding programs and the selection of genotypes adapted to different environmental conditions in Bulgaria.

Lathyrus sativus L. is a legume crop, possessing high protein content, tolerant to drought, waterlogging and salinity. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of the exchanged local Lathyrus accessions from Mediterranean region and south eastern Europe in order to review their potential for its ex situ conservation and sustainable use. The subject of the study were twenty four grass pea accessions with different origin, received on a project basis. The morphological, biological and economic characteristics were assessed on 10 pre-marked, normally developed plants from each accession using the International Classification of Species Lathyrus sp. and list of indicators. All exchanged accessions were registered in our national database and in European Search Catalogue for Plant Genetic Resources (EURISCO). Nine Lathyrus sativus accessions with Bulgarian origin were reproduced at the experimental field of IPGR, Sadovo and the seeds from them was included in AEGIS (A European Genebank Integrated System). Several accessions (C000095, C0000101, C0000100, BGR43334, BGR40415 and C00000103) were selected with promising results related to grain and forage yields. Cluster analysis classified the accessions into two distinct groups as accessions from Bulgaria, Romania and part of Serbia were grouped in the first cluster and all others in the second. As the best adapted accessions to Bulgarian environment condition were two accessions from Romania (C00096 and C00095), two from Serbia (C000100 and C000101) and two from Bosnia and Herzegovina (C00093 and C00094). They demonstrated good productivity and good adaptability. All exchanged accessions were registered in our National database and in EURISCO database.